The present invention relates to an auxiliary drive for internal combustion engines.
Internal combustion engines for commercial vehicles frequently include an auxiliary drive which serves as the drive for devices such as cement mixers. For this purpose, it is known that one can drive the shaft of an auxiliary drive with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine via intermediate gears. The auxiliary drive, which is substantially comprised of a shaft having gears thereon, the radial and axial bearings, and the power takeoff flange, is housed or integrated in a separate housing which is flanged to the crankcase housing of the internal combustion engine. The gear of the auxiliary drive is, in this event, freely movably supported in the bearings. A configuration of this type requires additional installation space next to the crankcase which, with respect to commercial vehicles, is, in any event, very tight. The housing of the auxiliary drive leads additionally to additional costs. The configuration of the freely movable bearing support of the gear causes, via the unavoidable play at the free end of the shaft, impact-producing movement and thus produces, via the gear, unpleasant operational noise.
The present invention offers a solution to the challenge of configuring an auxiliary drive such that no additional room is needed adjacent the crankcase and the operational noise is effectively suppressed.
The complete integration of the auxiliary drive in the crankcase requires no additional room. Due to the location of the radial bearing directly adjacent the gear, the impact-producing movement of the shaft, which occurs in connection with freely movable bearings, is suppressed and the operational noise is effectively reduced.
Due to the tapered or graduated shaft and the configuration of the bearing, mounting of the complete auxiliary drive into the crankcase can be effected in a very good manner from the outside.
The present invention also encompasses additional advantageous configurations of the axial bearing and the lubrication of the bearing.